Melissa Lichtenberger

Profession: Pharmacy

Hometown:  Saint Albans, Missouri

What Your Profession Brings to the Team: Pharmacy provides necessary treatment options for patients to manage their disease processes, while ensuring that these medications are safe and effective for patients, as well as cost effective, and making sure patients have the resources needed to take them as required. Pharmacists are collaborators on i multidisciplinary teams in the hospital setting in rounding or meetings to guide the decision making and management of complex medication regimens for patients. Outside of the hospital setting, pharmacists are a bridge to the clinical providers and the community. Pharmacists are easily accessible to patients, as a resource for not only assuring safety of their current medications but also in monitoring adherence, in providing preventative care in immunization and screenings, in counseling and educating on medications and disease processes, and in referring patients to appropriate care as needed.

Why You Joined HPSLC: Before entering into the field of pharmacy, I had the opportunity as a transplant nurse coordinator to realize how incredible it is to work with a full team, all with unique perspectives but all with a common goal of caring for their patient. Multidisciplinary teams are critical in caring for our patients most effectively. I am excited to be part of an early foundation for students to embrace this method to carry throughout their careers in medicine. We have so much to learn from each other; and understanding other disciplines and having the desire to connect with other professionals and work together will give us the resources we need to provide optimal care for our patients.

Your Superpower: I listen, I care, I am conscientious, and I always work toward progress and improvements. I am passionate about serving my patients and the health care system as a whole, and I love all moments of learning.